Adjustable lamp support



Feb. 4, 1936. A. A. KARCHER I ADJUSTABLE LAMP SUPPORT Fil ed July 14, 1953 Patented Feb. 4, 1936 ,UNITED STATES PATIENT OFFICE This invention relates tolamp s more especially to movable or articulated sup- AnJUs'rABLE LAMP SUPPORT Arthur A. Karcher, Fostoria, Ohio Application July 4, 1933, Serial No. 680,443

. 'lclaim (c1.'2s7 12 ports for an electric lamp bulb.

Generally stated, the object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved construction whereby a support of this kind has a plurality of ball and socket joints of novel formation, permitting the lamp to be placed in various positions, practically any position within the leng h of the support, and held in such position by tension in the ball and'socket joints.

It is also an object to provide certain details and features of construction tending to increase the eflicienc'y and desirability of a lamp support of this particular character.

.To the foregoing and other useful ends, the invention'consists in matters hereinafter set n the accompanyforth and claimed, and shown 1 ing'drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of a lamp support emupports, and

bodying the principles of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of said lamp support. Fig. 3 is one of the ball and socket joints taken apart.

As thus illustrated; the invention comprises a ball I rigid with a bracket 2, which latter may be fastened to the wall or any other support. The socketjaws 3 and I embrace said ball, and the jaw l is fastened to the tube 5, but the jaw 3 is not. A screw 6 is inserted through the two jaws, at *a point between the ball I and the end 01 said tube, to tension the jaws on the ball.

A ball I is rigid with the other end of said tube 5, and the tube 8 is rigid with the jaw 9, but the jaw I is loose and connected to the law! by a screw ll, therebyto tension these laws on the ball 1 between them. As shown more clearlyin Fig. 3, the jaws 9 and ID are formed with lugs 29 and 29 to engage the neck I2 01" said ball," to limit relative mo'tion'of the tubes and 8 in one direction, but permitting said tubes to swing toward each other'in the opposite direction.

A socket jaw I3 is rigid with the other end of the tube 8, but the jaw ll'is loose and simply connected to the jaw l3 by the screw l5, to tension these jaws on the ball l6 between them. This ball is rigid with the angle neck H, which latter is at an angle when the lamp is in axial alignment with the bracket arm, and is in turn rigid with the upper clamp l8 between which and r the lower clamp IS the lamp bulb 20 is clamped.-

. The formation of the neck, as' shown, permits a larger radius of location or action, as between the lamp and the tube 8, when it is desired to adjust the lamp in some particular position. The

two clamps are separably connected together by screws 2|, and the shade .22 is preferably rigid with the upper clamp l8, to cover the upper side of the lamp bulb. The lower clamp I 9 has a hook-like portion 23, and a wire guard 24 is hinged in the portion 23 and formed at its 0 er end with portions for engaging the holes 2 in the shade. The thumb piece 26 of the lamp bulb extends upwardly through the slot 21 in the upper clamp. I

The ball I is preferably smaller than the ball I, and the ball I6 is preferably smaller than the ball I, while theiube 81s preferably smaller than the tube 5, whereby in eflect the supporting arm 5 thus formed is tapered toward the lamp.

With this construction, the lamp can be turned or placed in practically any Position within the length of the articulated arm thus formed, and the tension in the ball and socket joints maintains the lamp in the desired position. The conductor cord 28 extends into the tube! and through the ball'l into the tube 8, and then .outside the ball l6 to the base of the lamp bulb.

The adjustable lamp support thus formed may' 5 bemounted on the wall or on a bench, or on any objectyand it may-be fastened to a floor support to make it portable, if so desired. Each joint, obviously, has more movement in some directions than in others, because of the split or 30' sectional formation of the sockets of the joints.

It will be seen that the sections 4, 9, and I3 of the ball and socket joints are fastened to the tubes by rivets 30, so that these sections are rigid with the tubes. These rivets are inserted and are secured to the tubes by spot welding, and in addition each rivet is thus welded to the section containing thehole in which it is inserted. It will also be seen, as shown in Fig. 3 of therdrawsing, that, each ball and socket joint has a ball 40 socket formed by the sections 9 and ID, for example, as previously explained, and that the section 9 hasa portion 3| that embraces the tube jointed or articulated arm or bracket thus formed.

As the screw H is threaded in the loose Jaw II, and loose in-the fixed jaw I, it follows that the head of the screw isheld in fixed position during any tightening or loosening of the jaws, making it easy to hold the jaw It in one hand, while the screw is being manipulated by the other hand, in connecting the two Jaws together, so that finally a screw driver can be used with one hand, the head of the screw and the screw itself being held in fixed position against any wobbllng relatively to the jaw 9 of the tube 8, during the general operation of connecting the two jaws together.

The relative formation of the clamping jaws I and II, it will be seen, issuch that the relative rotation between the ball I and its ball socket is .limited to movement about a single axis, as the ball cannot rotate in any direction, but can only rotate in the direction ailorded by the guiding edges of the jaws below the lugs 29, as these edges engage'the neck I! of the ball, and hold the latter against rotation in any other direction relatively to the ball socket. The same is true of the ball I and its ball socket, and the same is true of the ball I and its allotted ball socket, for in each case the neck of the ball can move in a guide slot, so to speak, formed between the edges of the clamp- 1 8 laws, but cannot move relatively in any other direction.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a lamp arm, a ball and socket Joint therefor comprising a tube with a ball on the end thereof, another tube with a pair of clamping jaws on the end thereof, forming a ball socket between them, and providing an articulated conduit for an electrlcalconnection for the lamp, one 1 law being rigidly fastened to the tube, the other law being loose on the opposite side of'the tube, so that this other law has a clamping action at both ends thereof, a ball clamping action at one said screw being loose in one Jaw .and screw threaded in the other Jaw.

' for comprising a member with a ball on the end thereof, another member with a pair of clamping laws on the opposite sides of the end thereof, forming a ball socket between them, for said ball, and providing an articulated support for the lamp, one jaw being rigidly fastened to the memher, the other Jaw being loose on the opposite side of the member, so that this other law has a clamping action at both ends thereof, a bail clamping action at one end and a member clamping action at the other end, and a screw extending through the two jaws, between the ball and the second mentioned member, said screw being loose in one jaw and screw threaded in the other Jaw,

whereby relatively adjustable clamping Jaws are provided, with the second mentioned member clamped between the Jaws at one end of the latter, and with said ball clamped between them at the other end. 7 5. A structure as specified in claim 4, said members being tubular, and said ball having a bore, whereby the structure provides an articulated conduit for an electrical connection for the lamp. 6. A structure as specified in claim 4, said Jaws being both provided on their inner faces with grooves in which the second mentioned member is clamped.

'7. A structure as specified in claim 4, said Jaws socket to a single axis.

ARTHUR A. 

